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South Korean President Moon Jae-in speaks at a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House on Tuesday. (Yonhap News)

South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged Koreans on Wednesday to get their COVID-19 boosters, saying, “Once they receive their booster shot, those aged 60 and below will rarely die from the Omicron variant, and the likelihood of death will be significantly reduced.”

Citing an analysis by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Moon took to social media, writing, “The fatality rate of the Omicron variant for unvaccinated individuals is over five times that of seasonal flu, but for boosted individuals, the fatality rate [of Omicron] is similar to that of seasonal flu. To add another rarely reported fact, the fatality rate of Omicron for boosted individuals aged 60 and below has remained at 0% so far.”

“Receiving the booster shot is critical,” he stressed.

Moon continued, “Thanks to the active cooperation of our citizens, South Korea has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world. However, many still haven’t received their booster shots, and the number of unvaccinated individuals is not insignificant.” He added, “Unless there is an unavoidable reason not to, I urge once again that everyone receive their booster shots.”

By Lee Wan, staff reporter

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